1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sphincteric web for the treatment of incontinence having three inflatable cushions by which to prosthetically replicate the geometry of a normally continent rectum and, thereby, return the patient to continence.
2. Prior Art
In a colostomy or ileostomy patient, some or all of the large intestine may have been removed due to cancer, inflamatory bowel disease, and other infectious causes requiring excision and resection. Surgically implantable prosthetic sphincters are known by which to treat colostomy or ileostomy patients for incontinence. However, conventional artificial sphincters commonly include an occlusion cuff which surrounds and squeezes the colon to achieve continence through the application of equal and opposite forces in a single plane. Such coplanar force-generating sphincters act to constrict the colon so as to create an obstruction for blocking the flow of waste material therethrough.
However, by constricting or squeezing the colon to achieve continence, blood flow through the patient's delicate tissues may be undesirably interrupted or impeded. Consequently, there exists a likelihood that the patient will be susceptible to hypertrophy, ischemia, necrosis and/or erosion, thereby requiring further surgery and the removal or adjustment of the sphincter.
Examples of conventional artificial sphincters which include a plurality of inflatable chambers by which to treat incontinence may be found by referring to either of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,399,809 issued Aug. 23, 1983 or 4,428,365 issued Jan. 31, 1984.